Hollow-core concrete blocks have been widely used for wall construction for over a century. Traditionally, the blocks are laid in a running bond pattern (alternating seam) with reinforced steel referred to as “rebar” for reinforcement, where generally the rebar is not placed in an underlying concrete slab (if any), is used only in corners, and terminates at the top of the wall. Once the blocks are installed, all the hollow cores in the wall are filled from bottom to top with the same material. In one example, all the hollow cores are filled with concrete. Although this can produce a sturdy wall, this method is costly due to the relatively high cost of concrete. In another example, all the hollow cores are filled with a less expensive material such as an admixture that includes fly-ash. However, the use of such an admixture instead of concrete typically produces a wall of lower strength. In some traditional approaches, roof trusses are fastened to bolts secured in the wall.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide cost-effective systems and methods for constructing buildings with high-strength walls. For example, it would be desirable to provide cost-effective systems and methods for constructing walls that make the resulting building highly resistant to heavy winds (e.g., from hurricanes).